Bachelor of Science, Major in Business Administration with Concentration in Analytics and Operations Management

at University of Massachusetts Lowell USA

The B.F.A. degree prepares students for careers in studio arts and graphic design. Within these disciplines, students may choose to focus on photography, sculpture, painting, ceramics, animation, 3D modeling, drawing, printmaking or interactive digital media.

The art major is designed to develop a rigorous art practice. Students gain a deep knowledge of the technical and conceptual abilities needed to succeed in the professional world. The Art & Design Department offers the professional degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.).

Animation and Interactive Media are vibrant and rapidly evolving fields of cultural production. Both of these disciplines play key roles in art (video, installation, net art, etc.), design (user experience, interaction), entertainment (films, games), and communication and journalism (infographics and data visualization). Animation and Interactive Media are two sides of the same coin: the former focusing on time-based narratives and emotional communication and the later involving user feedback and affect. Combining the two disciplines will make each practice stronger and prepare students to become animators, game designers, communicators, and artists.

Assignments focus on sequential imagery techniques as well as interactivity in arts and as arts. In addition to the core courses students can take advantage of courses in web design, motion graphics, animation, interactive design, graphic design, game design, data visualization and advanced independent studies.

The final year, students focus on their capstone project either in animation, interactive media or a combined project. The Senior Studio project is a year-long exploration where students create a self-directed project that reflects their talent and skills using our state-of-the art facilities. In addition, students develop their online portfolio and resume. The capstone project results in excellent portfolios that prepare students for today’s rapidly evolving art world and technology.

The B.F.A. degree prepares students for careers in studio arts and graphic design. Within these disciplines, students may choose to focus on photography, sculpture, painting, ceramics, animation, 3D modeling, drawing, printmaking or interactive digital media.

The art major is designed to develop a rigorous art practice. Students gain a deep knowledge of the technical and conceptual abilities needed to succeed in the professional world. The Art & Design Department offers the professional degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.).

Through a broad, competence-building sequence of core courses, students are introduced to the language of several disciplines, various materials and techniques. They study the fundamentals of studio art along with a wide variety of skills including visual communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, oral communication and project development. In addition, they learn how to constantly adapt to new technology.

Assignments focus on self-expression, material/technical competencies, building a personal language and life practice. In addition to core studio courses, students can take advantage of courses in web design, motion graphics, interactive design, typography, art history, art theory, video, and the huge array of science and humanities courses available at the university.

High quality professors, rigorous and relevant curriculum and state-of-the art facilities create an environment that produces excellent student achievement.

The Studio Art concentration prepares artists for careers in animation, digital imaging, drawing, interactive-media, painting, photography, and sculpture. Graduates have built successful careers in photography, teaching, animation, gallery management and studio arts. The Studio Art concentration at UMass Lowell provides students with the tools necessary to reach their highest potential as creative practitioners.

The Creative Writing concentration invites English majors to study literary artistry in small group workshop classes that emphasize style, technique, and other aspects of craft. Where most undergraduate programs staff creative writing classrooms with visiting lecturers or graduate students, UMass Lowell retains a permanent faculty of distinguished writers specializing in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Focused on reading widely and writing well, the concentration’s multi-genre, progressively rigorous course of study culminates in a capstone portfolio project.

Students can expect to take part in the English Department's vibrant and active literary and creative community. The campus literary magazine, The Offering, is entirely student-run and -edited, and many creative writing students work on the editorial team or publish work in the magazine. Students have access to any number of public literary events each semester, including student readings, and can meet and speak to award-winning, nationally recognized authors through our Writers on Campus series. Our program, like the other department concentrations, offers a degree in English, and provides a solid foundation for students hoping to pursue a writing life beyond the classroom. Graduates of our program have published work in prominent literary magazines, been accepted in top-ranked MFA programs, released books with major publishers, and won prestigious national awards.

As a history major at UMass Lowell, you will be trained to think and write critically about history. Department alumni have careers in a wide array of fields including teaching, law, government service, business and research. More than half our graduates go on to graduate school in history, education and other fields.

The Master of Science in Plastics Engineering program offers professional training at the master's level designed to provide the opportunity for the study of more advanced theory and practice in plastics materials, design, and manufacturing. There also are concentrations in elastomer technology, medical plastics, and sustainability. This graduate program also is designed to broaden the background of experienced professionals to help them keep up with the latest fundamental developments in the field.

The Master of Music in Music Education degree programs at UMass Lowell provide advanced study of music teaching and professional preparation for those engaged in or aspiring to a career as a music educator.

The Master of Music in Music Education has two non-certification options consisting of the research-based Research Thesis/Project option for fully-certified music teachers who are seeking professionalization, and our newly created Community Music option which serves to broaden the definition of music education to include other venues beyond public school teaching, such as community outreach programs, arts organizations and educational media.

The degree program is designed to facilitate students' growth and development as:

• Leaders in the profession of music education.
• Creative problem solvers and innovative thinkers.
• Individuals who love music and the arts and utilize their knowledge of and enthusiasm for music to inspire students.
• Contributors, through research, to the profession and discipline of music education.

The UMass Lowell American Studies Program offers both a major and a minor. It includes faculty from departments such as English, Cultural Studies, History, Psychology, Sociology and Political Science.

Graduates of the program have pursued careers in government and social services; others seek certification to teach elementary or high school. Having developed skills in writing and analysis, American Studies majors have become successful executives, public relations representatives, product managers, speech writers, press secretaries, and journalists. American Studies has proven a strong foundation for students continuing their studies in law or in library and information sciences.

American Studies is a vibrant interdisciplinary field practiced around the nation and world. It examines the intersection between such subjects as globalization and economics, music and politics, history and gender, race and environment, technology and art. This willingness to cross the boundaries of traditional disciplines allows for creative critical thinking and research.

The Environmental Geoscience Option is designed to prepare students with the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct research and act as consultants in environmental sciences and geosciences. The students in the program will take a variety of courses distributed across three areas – Policy/Economics, Environmental Engineering, and Environmental Geosciences. Course work will be concentrated in the Environmental Geosciences, with the option to take additional courses in the other areas based on student interest.

The Master of Science program in Security Studies prepares students for careers in the rapid expanding field of cyber security, as well as weapons of mass destruction (CBRNE) and how to address threats to our critical infrastructure.

Homeland Defense - Concentration
Students pursuing this area of concentration will develop competencies and knowledge relating to homeland security strategy and policy development, critical infrastructure protection, regional and national security intelligence, land and maritime border protection, and the use of new technologies in homeland security. Emphasis is placed on integrating a “big picture” policy perspective with an understanding of human behavior, systems, and intelligence analysis.

Students can take courses in the history of philosophy and philosophical movements; political, mathematical and scientific philosophies; metaphysics; linguistics and aesthetics. Students will learn how to analyze, reason, deduct and apply persuasive arguments in a disciplined and systematic way while developing their oral and written communication skills.

The department does not specify particular course work for the major, but recommends that the sequence of courses be designed in close consultation with the student’s faculty advisor. Students who plan to go to graduate school are strongly encouraged to take at least two courses from the History of Philosophy series. They should also consider a second major in a cognate field, e.g., American studies, English, French, history, mathematics, or political science.